Sri Chinmoy began weightlifting on June 26 1985 with a clean and press 40 lb lift. By November of 1985 he had succeed in lifting his own body weight of 155lbs. His progress was rapid breaking all usual conventions about slow and steady progress. On 30th Jan 1987 Sri Chinmoy succeeded in lifting with one arm (right) an unprecedented 7,063lbs. Bill Pearl described this as a “20th Century Miracle” On 04 August 1988 Sri Chinmoy lifted 7040lb with the other hand (left). These lifts were from a platform, specially constructed for the lift. After this lift there followed a break in serious weightlifting, but in the late 1990s Sri Chinmoy renewed his weightlifting career, completing on 09 May 2000 a 1,300-lb standing overhead Double Dumbell Lift.
Sri Chinmoy Wrist Curl of 256lbs
Sri Chinmoy states that he does not lift in order to compete with others, he is not interested in breaking world records. For Sri Chinmoy weightlifting is something that enables him to compete with himself, to enable self transcendence. Self Transcendence or the breaking of self imposed limits is a feature of many aspects in his life. Many lifts of Sri Chinmoy take place early in the morning as part of his spiritual disciplines. Between the years of 1998 and 2001 he offered 1,300 weightlifting prayers before each morning lift. These prayers can be viewed at Sri Chinmoy Library giving the date, time and type of lift.
Although many lifts are in his private home in Queens Sri Chinmoy also uses his unique weightlifting as a way to inspire others. His lifting has appeared many times on TV throughout America and Europe, they are often included at the end of a news program as a positive news item. Approaching 75 years of age Sri Chinmoy is particularly keen to inspire others not to give up. In this video of 740lb double dumbbell lift Sri Chinmoy dedicates his lift to those of his own generation. Through lifting Sri Chinmoy wishes to show that old age is only in the mind and not the heart.
In the above photo April 2006 Sri Chinmoy is powering a carousel through an adapted machine. Sri Chinmoy is pushing a combined weight of 1786. Sri Chinmoy feels weightlifting does not need to confined to the narrow, traditional style of lifts. This carousel was built for the 42nd anniversary of Sri Chinmoy's mission in the West.
In this photo Sri Chinmoy lifts the combined weight of all the 1,495 books he has written and published.